Guide for drive-belts.



N0. 659,37. Patented Det. 9, i900. V. D. KERN. GUIDE FOB DRIVE BELTS..`

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(Application lod Feb. 15, 1900.!

(No lndel.)

UNITED STATES,

PATENT Orricn.

VERNON D. KERN, OF ESTHERVILLE, IOWA.

GUIDE FOR DRIVE-BELTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,370, dated October 9, 1906. Application led February 15, 1900. Serial No; 5,374. iNo model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, VERNON D. KERN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Es- `therville, in the county of Emmet and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guides for Drive-Belts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v

My inventionv relates to a belt brace or guide adapted particularly for use by threshermen to prevent the main drive-belt of a threshing-machine from slipping or being blown by the action of the wind oft the drivepulleys of the machine and the engine employed to drive it. lt contemplates the provision of a device of this character which combines strength and durability with simplicity of construction and which is capable of being readily and conveniently put up and taken down and adjusted .to suit irregulari? ties of ground-surface and provide an effective antifriction-bearing to brace and guide and also insure an easy movement of the belt.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and ar' rangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,'Figure l isa front perspective View of a belt brace andv gulde constructed in accordance with my invice and consisting of spaced parallel sidel pieces B and end pieces O O', the bottom end piece O' serving as a sill-to rest upon the ground and having an opening d formed therein for the passage of a peg, spike, or similar fastening d to hold it from shifting. In practice this frame is supported in vertical position by brace-rods E of any desired number and arrangement and having detachable connection therewith, so as to be conveniently applied thereto and removed therefrom. The preferred practice is to em'- ploythree suchlrods, one arranged at each side of andy at the rear of the frame and inclined to securely support the same, as sho wn. The lower ends of the brace-rods are 'provided with feet e, through which pegs or spikes c are passed and driven into the ground to hold them fast, and their upper ends are bent laterally to bear upon the upper edge of the frame and formed with pendent hooks f, which. are adapted to engage metallic loops or sockets ff, arrangedA upon the rear side of the upper end piece or. cross-bar O of the frame to detachably connect them thereto. By this construction it will be seen that the frame may be readilyand conveniently put up and taken down and the parts packed in close compass for storage or transportation.

Adj ustably supported in the open space of the frame A are rollers G and G', arranged one above the other in vertical alinement and projecting slightly beyondthe front side of the frame, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

yThese rollers are revolubly mounted in a sliding carrier-frame H, composed of two or more spaced vertical slats 1 connected at intervals by transverse slats j, arranged in pairs, the slats of each pair of the latter being located upon opposite sides of the frame A and extended to have their ends overlap and bear upon the side standards B thereof. The slats j are suitably connected to the slats t', and their overlapping ends j' serve as guides to hold the carrier-frame against displacement and may serve as binders to maintain the frame in any desired position to which it is adjusted by frictional engagement with the standards B, the frictional grip being regulated in any preferred way, as by the use of adjusting-bolts. Any other IOO of the said standards, may be employed for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 5. The journals of the rollers may be mounted in bearing-blocks Z, connected to the slats 'L' or carried by slats j, as preferred.

In operation the device is set up at a point. about midway between tbe thresher and engine and alongside the belt and the braces applied to hold the frame in position. The rollers are then adjusted, if necessary, by sliding the carrier-frame up or down, as occasion may require, to suit the height of the belt or compensate for irregularities of ground-surface and said frame made fast by locking it if positive locking means are employed. When this is done, the belt is started up, and the arrangement is such that the edges of the upper and lower stretches thereof bear against the rollers, which constitute guides and antifriction-bearings therefor and prevent the same from moving out of line and slipping or being blown olf the driving-pulleys. The device may be located on either side of the belt as occasion requires and when employed on the inner side thereof Will effectually prevent the belt from Working inwardly under pressure of the wind and becoming worn out by rubbing against the side of the engine or thresher. When the operation of threshing has been completed, the belt-guide may be readily taken down and packed, so as to be convenienly stored away or carried by the engine.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction of the invention may of course be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a brace and guide for drive-belts, the combination of a frame, metallic loops or keepers upon the side of the frame adjacent to the upper edge thereof, and removable brace-rods provided with laterally-bent upper ends to bear upon the upper edge of said frame and depending hooks to it into said loops or keepers, substantially as described.

2. In a brace and guide for drive-belts, the combination of an open rectangular frame, a carrier slidably mounted in the frame and comprising vertical slats and horizontal slats, the latter being arranged in pairs with the slats of each pair located upon opposite sides of the frame and having their ends extended and overlapping the frame and forming guides for the carrier, and rollers mounted one above the other in vertical alinement on said carrier in the open spaces between said sets of slats, substantially as described.

3. In a brace and guide for drive-belts, the combination of an open rectangular frame having rack-teeth upon the inner edges of its standards or side pieces, a roller-carrier adjustably mounted in the frame, locking-pawls to en gage said rack-teeth, and a lever pivoted to the carrier and adapted to be operated to throw the pawls into and out of engagement with the rack teeth, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VERNON D. KERN. [L s] Witnesses:

IRA ERIXIN, AUSTIN SYvERsoN. 

